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I 'tty of Sumter, 




Sumter Countij, 

Soutt| Carolina, U. 5. CI. 



THE IDEAL LOCATION FOR 



Home Seeker, 


Laborer, 


Farmer, 


Health Seeker, 


Manufacturer, 


Poultry Breeder 


Merchant, 


TourUt, 


Truck Grower, 


Sportsmen, 


Live-Stock Raiser, 


Student, 


Orchardist, 


Attorney, 


Dairy Men, 


Physician, 


Mechanic. 





Manufacturing, commercial, agricultural, 
horticultural, industrial, educational, Mun- 
icipal and County Government, railroad, 
taxation, financial, climatic, population, 
lumber, and other information, issued by 
order of Sumter Chamber of Commerce, by 

EMMITT 1. REARDON, 
Secretary & Treasurer, Room 2, City HaU. 



READ THIS CAREFULLY. 

The City of Sumter and County are situated 
about the center of the State. The City is 
situated in a pine belt region, and ia noted 
for tlie salubrity of its climate. It has main- 
tained a hiffh reputation as one of the most 
healthy sections of the South. The city is 
handsomely laid out with Avide streets and 
well shaded avenues, handsome public build- 
ings and private residences, the latter having 
well kept gardens, giving evidence of comfort 
and elegance. Located on eight Railroad 
lines, provided with good sanitary regula- 
tions and thorough system of water works 
and electric lighting, Sumter enjoys excep- 
tional facilities as a summer and winter resi- 
dence. The distance from Columbia is 42 
miles, from Charleston 96 miles, from Wil- 
mington 149 miles. The city is forging to 
the front steadily and rapidly, industrially 
and commercially. This is a prosperous sec- 
tion and signs of good times are clearly evi- 
dent Nearly ail of the business buildings are 
new, and have just been or are being remod- 
eled and the city is noted for its beautiful 
homes, and many beautiful cottages with all 
modern sanitary fixtures and conveniences 
are being built daily for rent at reasonable 
prices. The City Government of Sumter is in 
a fine condition financially, having a tax 
valuation of nearly .f 2.000. 000 and a bonded 
debt of only |59,000. These are 20 years 4m 
and Hs. The city tax is 14 mills for all pur- 
poses. The business license rates are exceed- 
ingly low. While 14 mills taxes are levied, 
yet property is onlj' returned for taxation at 
one-half its value. For illustration, note be- 
low that 16.5 buildings erected at a cost of 
$375,120 still the increase in tax returns in 
one year was only $175,000, including real 



estate values, household goods and store fix- 
tures and other personal property. If all 
property was returned at three-fourths of its 
value, it would be necessary to levy only 7 
mills taxes. So after all. taxes are very low 
in Sumter, considering the up-to-date muni- 
cipal government and the conveniences en- 
joyed by its citizens. The Sumter Water Co , 
asked $110,000 for its plant one year ago, 
which cost about $45,000 ten years ago, but 
this company only pays taxes to the county 
on .f 19,000 worth of property. Other cor- 
porations are similarly undervalued for tax- 
ation and private property too. The people 
are justly proud of their schools. St. Joseph's 
Academy for young ladies, established in 
1863, has a great reputation. It is a higii- 
prade institution. There are two graded, 
one common and one high school under the 
supervision of a Superintendent, one Avho 
conducts them according to modern ideas 
and met'iodt. The two handsome new brick 
school buildings cost .f 35,000 and are heated 
and ventilated by a system as near perfect as 
is known to science. Sumter is noted for the 
purity of its water supply, capacity being 
1,000.000 gallons per day, distributed from 
a stand-i)ipe which holds 400.000 gallons. 
The health of the city is carefully looked 
after, the death rate is exceedingly low par- 
ticularly among the white people, and the 
city is noted for the small number of cases of 
infectious and contagit>us diseases. The city 
is also well drained, mostly with under- 
ground terra cotta pipes. 

AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, IxNDUS- 
TRIAL, HORTICULTURAL AND OTHER 
FACTS ABOUT CITY A.XD COUNTY OF 
SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA. 
Sumter City and County boast of many 
flowing artesian wells, with inexhastible 
Bupplies of exceptionally pure water; as 
proven by chemical and sanitary analysis, 



suitable for tlrinkingr. all Tloinestic, maniifac- 
turitiff and also for irngatiuo: piirposeH. 
There is an abundance of pure water all over 
the county at all times. This is a magniti- 
cent asrieultural section, a splendid section 
for truck farminq:, fruit growing:, and a splen- 
did section for canning factories, and many 
as yet undeveloped resources. Out door 
farming and all other out door work can be 
carried on the entire year, and different crops 
cultivated, owing to our mild climatic con- 
ditions, winter and summer. The County of 
Sumter produces from 40.000 to 45.000 
bales of cotton annually, most of which is 
sold on Sumter market. Thousands of acres 
of good pasture land, suitable for grazing 
and feeding horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep, 
goats. Also a splendid section for raising 
poultry, with good local and nearby mark- 
ets. Jt has be-n demonstrated by the suc- 
cessful operation of many wood working es- 
tablishments, that Sumter county is a good 
place to invest in such enterprises. This is 
no experiment, and there is opportunity for 
much more capital. Manufacturing enter- 
prises shipping products out <;f the city are 
exempt from city taxes, and iicensetaxes for 
a period of five years, and given all encour- 
agement possible. 

Industrious immigrants are in demand as 
laborers or skilled workmen either on farms 
or in factoiies and other occupations and as 
home seekers in any occupation or profession. 
Wages run from $15.00 per month and 
board f<»r laborers and on up for mechanics 
and skilled laborers, experienced truck 
raisers, live-stock raisers, dair.v men. etc. 

Sumter is a good place for racingstables to 
winter stock. Tourists and health seekers 
find Sumter a good place to spend the winter 
or summer. All classes of people who are in- 
dustrious. law-abi<ling. and enterprising, are 
welcome to Sumter count.v. 

The City of Sumter also does a very large 



business in dry goods, particularly fancy 
dress sroods, and the making up of ladies' 
dresses, millinery goods, etc. There are seven 
dress making establishments. There are four 
millinery establishments, with skilled millin- 
ers. The leading dry goods and millinery 
and shoe establishments send representatives 
to the northern markets each spring and fall 
to purchase their stocks and to study the 
latest styles and fashions. Sumter draws a 
large patronage in the above lines, particu- 
larly in dress goods and millinery, from Flor- 
ence, Marion, Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee. Dar- 
lington, Marlboro. Williamsburg counties. 
In gents' and boys' clothing and furnishing 
goods, shoes, Sumter has a number of estab- 
lishments handling these lines entirely. 
Sumter's wholesale grocery establishments 
ship many car loads to different points. 
Lots of manufactured articles, such as tele- 
phones, switchboards, telephone receivers, 
furniture, coffins and fine caskets and boxes, 
doors, sash, blinds, fly screens, desks, cabi- 
nets, cotton seed oil, cotton seed meal, hulls, 
cotton yarn, lumber, turpentine, rosin, 
turned wood work, columns, balusters, win- 
dow and door frames, golf sticks, building 
material, brick, artificial stone, ice, soda 
water, coca cola, wagons. lf)g carts, l)ras8 
and iron foundry and machinery work, 
plumbing work, marble and stone work, jt)b 
l)rinting. are manufactured and shipped from 
Sumter. Diversified industries, honest treat- 
ment of customers and a hustling spirit 
make Sumter the distributing point for the 
above lines oi goods for eight counties imme- 
diately adjacent to Sumter, and to other 
States also. Splendid telephone connections 
with the country and surrounding cities also, 
facilitates rapid business transactions, to- 
gether with railroad schedules at all hours of 
the day and night. 

The soil is peculiarly adapted to the pro- 
duction of cotton, corn, hay, oats, wheat. 



barley, rye, tobacco, sweet and Irish potatoes 
and all varieties of fruits and vegetables, 
such as apples, pears, peaches, cherries, 
grapes, nuts, strawberries, "huckleberries." 
"blackberries," plums, watermelons, cante- 
loupes. musk melon, citron, pecans, English 
walnuts, hickory nuts, and in the truck line, 
beets of all kinds, peas of all kinds, cabbage, 
collards, cauliflower, mutton corn, sugar- 
cane, sorghum cane, cucumbers, egg- plants, 
lettuce mustard, onions, radish, spinnach, 
tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, leeks, garlic, 
okra, parsnip, parsley, sage, thyme, i)eppei-. 
sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, lumijts, 
asparagus, artichokes, carrots, sweet garden 
coin, kale, oyster plant, scullions, and also 
various farm pasturage grasses. Alfalfa, 
fodder, hay. peavine hay. etc. All the above 
fruits and vegetables and grasses grow in 
great <iuantities, at nearly all seasons of th<> 
year, and bring good prices at local and 
nearby markets. 

Cultivated farm lands remote from rail- 
ways, can be purchased at from .f 5 to -liSlo 
l)er acre. Lands convenient to railwa.vs or 
cities, or towns, $15 to $20 per acre. All 
lands rent from $2 to .f3 per acre. 

With plenty of pasturage grasses, lonsili 
food, and long seasons for .grazing li\e- 
stock. 

Field crops. Amounts produced and cost 
of production per acre, of the following, de- 
pend entirely on the amount of fertilizers 
used, and the amount of cultivating: Set; 
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Sumter is one of the largest cotton profluc- 
ing: counties in the State. This is about the 
best local cotton market in the State. Sumter 
having: a compress, better prices prevail here 
than in some markets. 

Sumter also excels in the matterof fine tim- 
ber in great quantities cypress, oak, walnut, 
poplar, dogwood, hickory, maple, yellow and 
Cuban pine and black gum grow here. 

There is room for spoke and handle furni- 
ture, box, barrel, bucket, wagon, buggy, 
cart and other wood working factories, and 
cotton yarn, duck drilling, saddlery, harness, 
towel, napkin, brick and tile, hosiery, wood 
fiber, plaster and other factories. 

The county has an able Supervisor and 
Board of Ccninty Commissioners, men of 
practical ideas, patriotic and energetic. All 
laws are rigidly enforced. 

The people are religious and church going. 
The whites are in the majority. The county 
of Sumter is peopled by sturdy, honorable, 
hardworking farmers of modern ideas, noted 
for hospitality and patriotism. There ai'e 
ten churches in the city for white people, 
Methodist 2, P^piscopal 1, Baptist 2, Presby- 
terian 1, Lutheran I, Roman Catholic 2, 
Hebrew Synagogue 1. Christ Church 1, and 
five churches for colored people. Baptist, 
Methodist and Presbyterian. Sumter is 
rapidly becoming a manufacturing center. 
Two large furniture and coffin factories era- 
ploy hundreds of men, one of which started 
on a capital of .fG5.00 five years ago; the 
plant cannot now be bought for .f 50. 000. 
The Sumter Telephone Company which 
manufactures telei)h()nes, switchboards and 
other telephone and electric appliances, is the 
only telephone factory in the South whose 
products find markets throughout the world. 
Hundreds of men and women are employed 
and the factory is one of the largest in the 
United States. 

The Sumter Fire Department consists of 



two two horse teauis, manned by the finest 
set of young' volunteer fire fighters t<^ be 
found in Ihe country, and the, hook and lad- 
der ^company, manned, by faithful colored 
firemen. Electric fire alarm system- Insur- 
ance rates are therefore not high. 

Sumter city and county have an indus- 
trious, well behaved and orderly colored 
population, many of whom own their own 
homes. Race trouble-* are unknown. 

SO me; BUSINESS FACTS. 
Population of city of Sumter, 18.'.>0, 

U. S. Census 3 800 

Population of city of Sumter, 1900, 

U. S. Ct-nsus 5 675 

Increase in ten years 1875 

Population 1903. Official City Census. 7 281 

Suburban, practically part of city 767 

Total city and suburban population.. 8 048 
Actual increase in pop. since 1900 ... 1 606 

The inci-ease in a little over 4 years 

since 1900 was nearly us much as 

ten years previous. 
Population in 1905 estimated at 10 000 

Total area of city, square miles 3^/^. Num- 
ber of inhabited houses in the city 1,869. 
Length of water pipes, 11 miles. Capacity 
of water supply 1,000.000 gallons daily. 
Amount invested in manufacturing and in- 
dustrial enterprises .'S;775.000. Banking 
capital four banks $275,000. Population 
employed^ in factories 1,200. Number of 
miles of streets 42, 6 miles of macadam, bal- 
ance clay and sand roads. 

RAILROADS, 
Sumter is the largest Railroad centerin the 
State. Three different s.vsteras of railroads, 
viz: Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co., The 
Northwestern Railroad Co., and the Southi 
ern Railway, with eight separate lines run- 
ning into Sumter from all points of the com- 
jiass, controlled by Railway Companies as 
follows: Manchester and Augusta Railroad 



Co., Tho Central Rnilrojul ("o,. of South Caro- 
lina, the Sumter & Wateree Co., theWilniing:- 
toi) Columbia & Aug^usta Pvailroad Co.. the 
Sumter & (^amden Eailroad Co.. the Wil-on 
& Summerton Ilailroad Co., the old C. S. & 
N., now M. & A. Extension. There are 53 
trains daily, 31 caiT.ving: pasHengerH. 25 car 
rying: TI. S. mails and passenffers exclusively. 
Total receipts at freiarht depots at Sumter 
for incoming and outgoing: freight last twelve 
months average $500,000 and includins: 
freiji lit charges on carload lots shipped to 
Sumter, freight prepaid and carloads of cot- 
ton, lumber and r)ther material shipped from 
Sumter and freight paid at points of des- 
tination amounting to .1?150,000 to .$200.- 
000 annually, the total freight business 
averages nearly $700,000 annually. Two 
years ago the total receipts from all sources 
averaged ."PSOO.OOO— an increase of .1!;150,000 
to .f200,000 annually. Total passenger 
business last twelve months .'?200.000. an in- 
crease of about ;f50,000 annually over two 
years ago. 

Cotton purchased on Sumter market aver- 
ages 50.000 to55. 000 bales annually — owing 
to increased wholesale business and the fact 
that the total volume of business of all kinds 
in Sumter increased about 33% percent, last 
year ovrr the year before, indications are 
that the freight receipts will be much larger 
the next twelve months. 

Local pay rolls of Sumter of the raflroads 
annually, $71 .300. Number of miles of side 
tracks in city of Sumter, 17. Number of 
railroad employees in city of Sumter, 147. 
Sumter county has more systems of Rail- 
roads and more miles of railroad tracks than 
any county in the State, not excepting Rich- 
land county, in which the Capitol of the State 
is situated. The city of Sumter has the 
greatest number of Railroad lines, with the 
best morning and afternoon schedules for 
drawing trade of any city in the State, 



and among the best in the South. Her busi- 
ness is rapidly increasing in all lines of trade. 

The growth of the city is steady and safe, 
owing principally to splendid railroad ad- 
vantages, fine agricultural back ground, in- 
creased manufacturing Industries and oppor- 
tunities for safe and profitable investments 
and pleasant homes. 

Two commodious freight depots, Avitb 
numerous warehouses platforms and sheds 
for cotton, fertilizer.^, naval stores, agricul- 
tural implements and other freight. Two 
handsome passenger depots costing. $25 000: 
two local switch engines with four crews, 
are required night and dny to handle the 
freight traffic. Five car inspectors are con- 
stantly employed. Three road masters are 
located here with five section masters. 
SOMK OTHER INTERESTING FACTS. 

Total value of real estate and personal 
property returned for taxei? in the city of 
Siimterin 1904,^1,850,000. Actual value 
of all personal property and real estate of 
all kinds, taxable and non-taxable, in the 
city of Sumter estimated .f3, 000, 000. Total 
city taxes collected in 1904, $24,794.89. 
This does not inclu<le license tax and commu- 
tation taxes, amounting to $4,500 an- 
nually, and dispensary profits. Increase 
in tax returns in city in 1904, $175,000. 
Number of residences, stores, tenement 
houses, office buildings, manufacturing en- 
terprises, schools, dp[)ota, warehouses, hotels, 
lumber plants, churches and other buildings 
erected in the past 18 months are 163, which 
cost .$375,120. The Western Union Tele- 
graph Company, Postal Telegraph Company 
and the Southern F.xpress Company have 10 
men employed here. They do a very large 
business. The real estate and personal prop- 
erty owned by the city of Sumter, valued at 
$125,000, 

MUNICIPAL GOA'EUNMENT. 

Its Municiual Officials are: Mayor, eight 



Aldermen, City Clerk and Treasurer, Super- 
visor of Reicifitration.Kerorder. Superintend- 
ent of Public Works, Assistant Superintend- 
ent of Public Works, (^ief of Police. First 
and Second Searpetit of Police. 7 regular Po- 
licemen and several substitute officers, Chief 
and Assistant Chi« f of the Fire Department, 
Secretary to Health Board, Secretao' to City 
Boflrd of Education. Health Officer, Sanitary 
Inspector, City Physician, Superintendent of 
Education, Assistant Superintendent of 
Education, five members of the City Board 
of Education, five members of the Health 
Board, Presid»-nt of the Health Board, City 
P^ngineer, Corporation Counsel. 35 teachers 
are employed in the City Graded Schools. 
Total school enrollment for 1904, 1.400, an 
increase of 13 per cent. The County Court 
House and County offices and off.cers are 
located in Sumter. 

BANKING AND OTHER BUSINESS. 

The total amount of business in all 
branches of trade, manufacturing and indus- 
trial lines is estimated by experts to be not 
less than f 6,000,000 annually, exclusive of 
banking business. The total volume of busi- 
ness as done by three local banks in 1904, 
according to statements of cashiers of the 
First National Bank. Bank of Sumter and 
the Sumter Suvings Bank, .f50,630,382.06. 
Another Bank has just opened for business. 
LUMBER BUSINESS. 

Sumter is an unusually large lumber mar- 
ket with a dozen lumber plants located in 
and near the cit3\ employing several thou- 
sand hands. Nearly all lumber shipments 
are made from the Sumter depot. 

MISCELLANEOUS ENTERPRISES. 

There are two hospitals for the care of the 
sick, managed by surgeons of ability and 
reputation. Trained lady nur.ses are in atten- 
dance. They are Mood & Osteon's, and the 
Baker Infirmary. A training school for 



anrses is established at both hospitals. ''The 
Sumter Hospital Company" (Inc ) with a 
ii;20.000 capital stock— Drs. S. C. Baker, 
Walter Cheyne, Archie China and H. M. 
Stuckey, incorporators, will absorb Dr. 
Baker's Hospital within thirty days, and so 
into their ma>j:nificent three-story stone hos- 
pital. This up-to-date hospitnl will be fitted 
out with all modern hospital equipments, 
with a corps of trained lady nurses, and a 
staff of physicians and surgeons of aViility. 
Mr. D. G. Ziegier is the supervising architect 
of the new hospital. The Mood-Osteen Hos- 
pital is thoroughly equipped. 

We have also 1 telephone factory, 2 large 
cotton ginneries, 2 coffin and furniture fac- 
tories, 1 large cotton oil and fertilizer fac- 
tory. 2 large bottling works, one golf stick 
factory, fine water works system, three ice 
plants, one electric light and power plant, 
five lumber, door, sash and blind factories, 
and general wood working establishments, 

2 daily and 4 weekly papers, one monthly 
paper, 4 banks. 8 railroad companies. 2 B. 
& L. Associations, colleges and graded 
schools. 2 new modern hotels and many ex- 
cellent boarding houses, one military com- 
pany, brass band and orchestra, $40,000 
opera house and city hall, long distance and 
local telephone exchanges, 3 gunsmiths, 2 
brass and iron foundries, 3 machine shops, 
5 blacksmith and wheelwright shops. 5 bi- 
cycle repair shops, 5 plumbing and steam- 
fitting establishments. 3 furniture a.nd cabi- 
net repair shops, 2 marble and stone yards. 
There are skilled Physicians, 9 dentists. 
1 Circuit Judge, 1 Magistrate, 21 attorneys, 

3 railroad surgeons, 4 members of the legis- 
lature. 35 County officials and their Clerks 
and assistants who have offices in Sumter 
13 lodges (»f secret societies. City Council 
has granted franchises f<<r a city and subur- 
ban electric railway and light and powiM- 
plant. Sumter is a wholesale as well as re- 



tail market, linviiiK^: t'Xcluisivt' wholesale and 
jobbing houses, with representatives on the 
road, 7 or 8 wholesale and retail establish- 
ments and about 85 retail establish nients of 
all kinds, besides other places of business. 
Free City Mafl Delivery, Rural Mail delivery, 
] cotton mill. Music Schools, Private Schools. 
Good Hunting, Good Fishing, Splendid City 
and Country Driveways. Contractors, Archi- 
tects, Skilled Labor. Brick Yard, Corn Meal, 
Grist and Wheat Mills. 

20 handsome brick stores and 2 brick 
stores are in course of erection, » number 
have been built within the last 12 months, 
besides a number of small wooden stores. 
not previously mentioned. Sumter is also a 
very large live stock market, there being G 
stables handling thousands of horses and 
mules annually, besides many thousands of 
dollars of farming machinery, other agricul- 
tural implements, harness, hay, grains, bug- 
gies, wagons, etc. Sumter is a large dis- 
tributing point for a large portion of South 
Carolina. Man\- rural and star r(nites for 
mail begin here. Sumter has long been an 
educational centre, drawing patronage from 
this and other States, having excellent facili- 
ities for educating boys and girls, and our 
tine climatic and sanitary conditif)ns. and 
pure water, together with our fine social and 
religious advantages being extra induce- 
ments. 

POSTAL RECEIPTS. 

ISOa * 071)79 

U»o:} 12 077 OG 

1 '.)().'> will be about 14 000 00 

NEW E.NTERPraSES. 

New enterprises chartered and some in 
oi)erntlon within the jjast GO days. One 
bank, one city and suburban electric railway 
and power i)lant, one electric power plant 
Hour mill, steam laundry, one bonded cotton 
warehouse, \irpinia Carolina T'hemical Com- 



pany factory; one railroad, Surnter & North- 
ern, S. A. L. connections, charterer! and or- 
ganized; two machinery and foundry works, 
one grist and corn meal mill, one railway 
and mill supply company, one building and 
supply company, one office building, one 
artificial stone Avorks now in operation. 
E. I. REARDON, 
Sec & Treas., Sumter Chamber Com. 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



014 496 519 P § 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 





014 496 519 A 



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